How appropriate that on the 500th (10 Jubilee years) anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation when Luther nailed his theses to the Wittenberg door, the movie The Shack blesses the world with a picture of who God really is. (The Genius of the Shack)
God is Love
“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:8
John goes on to say:
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.” – 1 John 4:16-19
The “Shack” represents our Great Sadness… the hidden brokenness in all of us. It’s about God’s furious, unfailing, and unconditional love coming into the middle of our deepest darkness and loving the “hell” out of us.
I was praying today:
“Jesus, you are the Great Physician. I invite you into my most broken places to do what you do best… to heal. I trust you completely and commit my whole self – body, soul, and spirit – into your care. You have said, “it’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. I’m one of the sick God. I have wounds and hurts and it is the wounded and hurt ones who end up wounding and hurting others. That is the last thing that I want! Come Holy Spirit. Infect every ounce of me with your healing joy and peace and righteousness! Kingdom of heaven invade! I offer myself as a portal for the kingdom of God to break into this world which rightfully belongs to you. receive your reward for your sacrifice. Expand the Kingdom of Love through me as I begin to fully experience your perfect love.”
I have to tell you, reading the book, The Shack, about eight years ago or so was life changing. Watching the movie was again life transforming. It has helped to lift the wrong paradigms I had/have about the nature of God.
I was reflecting today on this most important Scripture where we are informed of the true nature of God by the I AM. This is from Exodus 34:
Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, I AM. The LORD (I AM) passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“I AM! I AM!
The Elohim (Mighty ONES) of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”
I have a sincere belief that this modern day parable presented in The Shack by Wm Paul Young reveals the true heart of Papa, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. God is the One who promoted this because he wants the whole world to know him. I can hear God say, “I am SO proud of my boy Paul Young, just look at what he made that reveals heart so well!”
Daniel Lovett 
The Shack most certainly does not show God as He really is. It is a parable, with the incite that parables can impart. However, even Jesus did not teach doctrine in his parables. He taught principles. I would suggest that you look to the Bible alone — Martin Luther’s source — for insight and enlightenment.
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